Software Bisque
Encyclopedia
Software Bisque, Inc. is an American company that develops software used in astronomy
. It was founded in 1984 by current president and CEO, Stephen Bisque.
Initially, Bisque developed and marketed custom financial software and also sold a DOS
-based astronomy program named TheSky
. At this time, the company was based in Bisque's home in Golden
, Colorado
.
In 1990, Bisque hired his brothers Thomas, Daniel and Matthew. Together they ported The Sky for DOS to Windows 3.0
. In 1992, TheSky for Windows was released. The product has been under continuous development since then.
Software Bisque has since developed and sold many astronomy-related products, including:
Amateurs have discovered over 500 new objects (including comet
s, minor planet
s, supernova
s, and cataclysmic variable star
s) using these products.
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
. It was founded in 1984 by current president and CEO, Stephen Bisque.
Initially, Bisque developed and marketed custom financial software and also sold a DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
-based astronomy program named TheSky
TheSky (astronomy software)
TheSky is an astronomy program designed to be used for various educational and observational purposes. It provides a large feature set including the following:...
. At this time, the company was based in Bisque's home in Golden
Golden, Colorado
The City of Golden is a home rule municipality that is the county seat of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Golden lies along Clear Creek at the edge of the foothills of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Founded during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush on 16 June 1859, the mining camp was...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
.
In 1990, Bisque hired his brothers Thomas, Daniel and Matthew. Together they ported The Sky for DOS to Windows 3.0
Windows 3.0
Windows 3.0, a graphical environment, is the third major release of Microsoft Windows, and was released on 22 May 1990. It became the first widely successful version of Windows and a rival to Apple Macintosh and the Commodore Amiga on the GUI front...
. In 1992, TheSky for Windows was released. The product has been under continuous development since then.
Software Bisque has since developed and sold many astronomy-related products, including:
- TheSkyTheSky (astronomy software)TheSky is an astronomy program designed to be used for various educational and observational purposes. It provides a large feature set including the following:...
- TheSkyTheSky (astronomy software)TheSky is an astronomy program designed to be used for various educational and observational purposes. It provides a large feature set including the following:...
Pocket Edition for Windows MobileWindows MobileWindows Mobile is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft that was used in smartphones and Pocket PCs, but by 2011 was rarely supplied on new phones. The last version is "Windows Mobile 6.5.5"; it is superseded by Windows Phone, which does not run Windows Mobile software.Windows Mobile is...
devices - CCDSoft, a program for the acquisition and development of CCDCharge-coupled deviceA charge-coupled device is a device for the movement of electrical charge, usually from within the device to an area where the charge can be manipulated, for example conversion into a digital value. This is achieved by "shifting" the signals between stages within the device one at a time...
images - TPoint for Windows, telescope analysis and pointing correction software
- Orchestrate, a program for automating multiple astronomy devices, allowing fully automatic operation and data acquisition
- Seeker, an OpenGLOpenGLOpenGL is a standard specification defining a cross-language, cross-platform API for writing applications that produce 2D and 3D computer graphics. The interface consists of over 250 different function calls which can be used to draw complex three-dimensional scenes from simple primitives. OpenGL...
three-dimensional solar system simulator - AutomaDome, astronomical dome control software
- PrecisionPEC, periodic error correction modeling software
- Paramount ME Robotic Telescope System, a German equatorial telescope mount with integrated software control
- BisqueTCS, a telescope control system
Amateurs have discovered over 500 new objects (including comet
Comet
A comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet...
s, minor planet
Planet
A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
s, supernova
Supernova
A supernova is a stellar explosion that is more energetic than a nova. It is pronounced with the plural supernovae or supernovas. Supernovae are extremely luminous and cause a burst of radiation that often briefly outshines an entire galaxy, before fading from view over several weeks or months...
s, and cataclysmic variable star
Variable star
A star is classified as variable if its apparent magnitude as seen from Earth changes over time, whether the changes are due to variations in the star's actual luminosity, or to variations in the amount of the star's light that is blocked from reaching Earth...
s) using these products.